The fourth day after the Cindy left the area and we walked along the beach to see  what shore was left behind.   Much to my amazement God had his creatures “helpers ” already cleaning up the mess! There were several fish washed up along the shore and the seagulls were very busy eating up the fish.  Lots of Jelly fish even a Man of War Jelly Fish which were being washed back into the see by the Tide.  Many people were walking along the shore picking up plastic and pieces of trash.  No flyers were out saying “please help clean the mess”.  It was like a chain reaction and it was understood, not spoken.   Picking up little pieces of trash was a big deal.  It made me realize that we do this without even being told.  Its instinct.  We have to take care of what God blesses us with when it gets damaged.  We can help renew by simple acts of kindness such as picking up trash so it does not harm our animals in our environment!  We are all helpers of God.

This third week was full of time spent with my family and at home working on our own projects!

Since the wedding was in Dallas over the weekend, Brandon and I made plans to stay with my oldest sister Jen for a few days after that. We enjoyed some time at the pool together, Top Golf, and some ice cream dates. I really enjoyed the time I had with Jen catching up on life and watching as her and Brandon got to know each other better. Being on sabbatical has helped our family connect since we are generally so busy. It is a sad realization when I start hearing things about my sister’s life that I had no idea about. This was an emotional point for me as I began to realize I need to slow down a little bit and not allow the “busyness” to disconnect me from those I love.

During our down time, I was able to read more of my book and start connecting some of the realizations I was having to my own daily life. One of the recent chapters discusses the curse that we have as women from Eve. Quite honestly besides childbearing, I never put much thought into this. As I continue though, I am beginning to see some changes that need to be made in my life to not only grow in my faith, but also to be more of the woman God created me to be. More on this later!

My nephews were also in Dallas over the week while their parents went on vacation. We were able to enjoy pool time and dinner together out at Jen’s house. As always we had lot of fun playing together and just being silly. Below is a picture from our pool day with the nephews.

As we headed home, we randomly stopped by Brandon’s best friends house to ride on the jet skis and let them spend some quality “bro time” together. Nothing says love like throwing people off the tube right? Here is a picture before all the bruises!

After we got back to Abilene, I was able to start working around my house to get things back into order since before our wedding in March. With both of us working two jobs, it seemed as if every time we make it home, we were too tired to do anything. Perhaps motivation was my problem, but again I am thankful for this Sabbatical time to work on a few personal things that need to be taken care of. This helps with some of the disagreements that occur in a new marriage and I will gladly work to minimize those! The first big task is getting our guest room back in order so that we can have people over. The room is currently my wedding room, so it is safe to say it is time for that to change. This will also allow some space for my patient husband to have his own closet.

This second week was full of traveling, lots of friendships, and building new relationships!

My husband’s family celebrated the 85^th family reunion out in Buffalo Gap. It is unique to see a family come together like this every year and it serves as a great reminder of family history and culture. The Jennings family (yes this includes Waylon Jennings) gets together every year for their unique event out at the Presbyterian Encampment. The full Saturday event includes a family meeting, knife auction, another silent auction of blankets or random items, a potluck meal, and swimming! Brandon and I enjoyed our time connecting with those who we were unable to see in March at our wedding. We could personally hug necks and thank those who sent gifts which was very nice to put faces with names. One thing I appreciated was being able to hear the stories of past family reunions and stories about Brandon’s grandparents. It was a wonderful day! Below is a picture of a few of us in the pool.

The next few days I was able to go to San Angelo to spend time with my dad. Since he is currently without a job and facing some hard times in his life, my visit was different than the usual visit. This time there was more laughter, more time spent together, and an overall sense of peace. We spent several days together cutting up, talking about old memories, watching some good old hallmark movies and just enjoying each other’s company. In the 23 years that my dad worked for his previous company – I have never seen him without stress or full of so much joy as he was this time around. I know the Lord has a plan in all of this and am very thankful that my Sabbatical fell during this time. I was encouraged by my dad’s positive outlook and approach to this stage of life. We had deep conversations about life and we could catch up on the day to day things that slip by when you no longer live in the same town. I also had fun going through some old photo albums and looking at family portraits. You can see one of my favorite pictures of my dad below:

While I was relaxing in San Angelo, I also started my book “Captivating” that I chose to read over Sabbatical. So far, I am enjoying the perspective that the author has given me in the first few chapters – more on this later!

The finale of this week and going into the new weekend was the celebration of a friend’s wedding in Dallas. Serving as the Matron of Honor, I was able to complete a lot of behind the scenes work to help the bride not get so worked up. Weddings are always stressful in some way, so I am thankful everything went well and it was beautiful! Brandon and I enjoyed our time together as we reminisced on our own day not too long ago. With the busy wedding weekend, it was nice to have a great time on the dance floor together! Below is a picture of my sweet husband and I at the wedding.

During our stay in Fort Walton we arrived on a Saturday and Sunday I enjoyed yoga on the beach and early morning prayer and meditation.  I listened as God spoke to me thru the waves coming in, the peacefulness and early morning seagulls.  This was one moment in my life I wish I could freeze forever! I felt like had my own call line directly to God because I could not see where the water ended.  I felt like I was at the edge of the world and God was everywhere talking to me thru the sparkles on the water glistening, so calming and soothing.   Any anxiety or worries I have in my life just melted away.  I thought to myself if God created this and its this beautiful Heaven must be an amazing place.  I guess I will just have to wait until I get there to see what it is like.

Two days into our trip Tropical Storm Cindy hit with winds up to 70 miles and hour, hard winds, hail,  waterspouts, and a Tornado hit within the City of Fort Walton.  I remember waking up at 4 am with the sound of a shrill high pitch screeching sound and the Door to my bedroom shaking as if were a thin piece of glass about to fly off.  You could not see the beach it was pitch black the only time we saw the beach was when lightning struck the sea.  It seemed like hours although it was about 30 minutes.  I prayed quietly for God to keep us safe.  It reminds me that some of the natural wonders of the world can also be dangerous.  I can’t explain it but I knew in my heart and mind that we were going to be ok. The next morning was monday and the  beach was half the size it was the previous day.  The storms continued and flooding became a problem all around us.  Little did I know God has his own plan for me to get closer to my family by being indoors over the next three days.  You might think this was horrible but, I think this was a time for rekindling our family time.  I had planned nightly devotionals on the beach  so instead in the mornings we cooked breakfast together and before we ate breakfast we prayed for God to help the others who were less fortunate that were suffering from damage from the storm or lost a loved one related to effects of the storm and read the daily devotional. We would talk about what the reading meant to each of us and how it applied to our lives. We cooked together, and ate and prayed together over the next three days.  The bad storms ended after three days although we did have rain after that it was no where near as intense.   I am forever grateful for God keeping my family safe.

My last week, I didn’t plan for anything except for some rest and relaxation with Shelby and Emery. We took Emery swimming and to the park a few more times. I love watching her experience things with such joy. I love making these precious memories as a family. She’s teaching me to treasure all of the little moments in life more.

This week I also finished the book of Mark and my 30 day devotional that I was going through. Having time to relax and meditate on a lot of the truths and verses that I read was amazing. It allowed me to go deeper into these readings than I might have outside of a sabbatical.

I want to thank Kris, the executives, the board, and everyone who covered for me at work while I was gone for this sabbatical and allowing me to spend time with my family.

I would like to start off by Thanking God for the opportunities he places before us daily that we do not see or want to see.  This is my 2nd Sabbatical and time off is worth every penny.   Never ever thought I would leave Texas but I finally made it out of Abilene and to my new home and a very loving husband.   I do love it here…not sure still about living in town but I will get use to it.

Resting has played a big part this time for me, I have never watched more TV in my life than I have over the last 30 days just laying around catching up on all the TV shows I have missed out on.  Normally, I go through spirts where I want to read and can’t get enough then I don’t want to read for months.  I was really not in the reading mood but picked up the power of humility and began reading and would find I had read several chapters before I would put it down.   After reading this book, the power of humility I would love to hand it out to certain people (not work family but others on the outside)…although I look back upon the reading and realize I needed that myself there were a few chapters that kinda hurt and sure makes you stop and think about how you need to change your way of life or way of thinking.  Our 6 days working for the Salvation Army has really opened our eyes and hearts to the work they do for our school aged children as well as the homeless.  We plan to continue to work for them as we can…we did have a great praise come out of it all…Abby’s dad (Sandy) finally got a job and he was pretty excited. We saw him on Friday (our last day) he was tired because he works the 11pm shift and got up to bring Abby to eat so that she gets a meal and he told us all about his new job.  I could tell he was relieved to finally get some decent income that will soon be coming to him and his family. One day after cleaning up to leave a donation of eggs was brought in and as they were deciding what needing to be done the refrigerators where completely full with no place for the over abundance of eggs…I walked to the kitchen to ask what I could do and they had decided to freeze the eggs, what how in the world do you freeze eggs…well you crack them and whip (like your going to scramble them) and put into a baggie in the freeze and they can be frozen for up to 6 months.  Jeff counted and I believe we had somewhere around 60 dozen eggs.  We stayed to get this done so that the workers could continue on with their day.  Donate or give to the Salvation Army everything they do is incredible for our homeless and children.

Relaxing at the pool for several hours daily with hardly anyone around made for a wonderful time to enjoy the beauty God places before us each and every day and quiet time to spend reflecting on all that He has done for us. God placed Jeff and his family in my life 4 years ago and what a true blessing they have been.  I struggled one day and cried most all day missing my kids more than anything, Jeff left me alone to paint and cry just needed to let it all go.  I am ready to see my kids thank goodness for face time although it is not quite the same but it will do.  Kaylee is doing great she has already been to orientation and gotten her schedule put together for fall semester, I am very proud of her. Dillon is working hard every day but is starting his vacation  this weekend by taking a week long cruise with friends.

Honestly, I am ready to get back to work, I have enjoyed my time off with Jeff and all that we were able to do together.  There are never enough words to say Thank you but  Thank you Kris and board for allowing each of us to take this wonderful opportunity to get back on track.

I guess the old saying is true “Time flies when you are on Sabbatical”.

The final 10 days.  Melissa and I finished our service project and said goodbye to everyone at the Salvation Army, at least for now.  It was an eye opening experience for me to learn just how many people in my community need the assistance that is provided by the Salvation Army as well as others.  I was impressed with the level of care that is provided on a daily basis for those who need it.  It was a blessing to be able to do what we could and get to know some of the families who came every day for the lunch we provided.  The only time it felt like work was the day that an unexpected delivery of donated eggs arrived just as we finished cleaning up and were leaving.  They cook breakfast for 60-100 every Sunday prior to their church service which would mean eggs for several weeks.  We volunteered to put them away but found there was no room in the refrigerator for 60 dozen eggs.  After some brainstorming with the staff and a google search, we learned that if we cracked and scrambled them, and put them in the freezer, they would last up to six months.  So, for the next two hours Melissa and I did just that and filled a freezer with 720 eggs, two dozen at a time in ziplock bags.  Needless to say, we won’t be cooking eggs for a while.

We spent more time at the pool relaxing,  went out to dinner with friends, went to a movie, and enjoyed the 4th at a cookout with my family.  We pretty much just spent our time together doing as little as possible, trying to avoid anything that would be classified as physical labor for the last few days before heading back into the real world.  I finished my book “Wild at Heart”.  It was a different and interesting look at how God created us for adventure.  The quote from John Eldredge that sums it up for me is “Life is not a problem to be solved, it is an adventure to be lived”.

Hard to believe it’s over. As of 7:30 am tomorrow I am back in work mode with my East Region (BMR) team monthly skype.  After that it’s the task of sorting thru a ridiculous number of emails and making phone calls to as many customers as possible in my one day back before flying to Abilene on Monday. It’s going to be difficult to flip the switch back to work mode after 30 days of occupying my mind and my time with so many things other than my job.  I look forward to getting back to the work God has called me to do, and the daily conversations I have with my customers and everyone I work with.  I will however, miss spending all day everyday with Melissa.  Not many couples get to spend their first 30 days of living together in the way we were blessed to experience it.  I will always be grateful to work for a company that made that possible.  Thanks Kris

Can you believe, I actually forgot when I was to begin Sabbatical? I did! I was supposed to begin my Sabbatical on July 5th. I actually worked yesterday. Until, I remembered, ‘Serene you’re on Sabbatical’!

Well, I got it right this morning. July, 6th. Yes! I am on Sabbatical. I’m on my way to O’Hare. In a traffic jam. That may or may not allow me to catch my flight on time. BIG SIGH. But, hey…there are more flights, right? Right?! Anyway, there’s nothing like the lovely view of 294-N this time of day, haha!

I’m not going to sweat it. There are no real delays. I’ll arrive at the appointed time. And, so my journey begins. Two hours in traffic, but at least I remembered today my Sabbatical begins. Happy Thursday everyone.

I’ll let you know when I arrive.

Today was Day One of my sabbatical. First I just want to express my appreciation to work for a company that would allow me this opportunity. It’s truly incredible, and I’m so looking forward to the next 30 days!

Starting Out

Kimba and I enjoyed the beautiful morning!

I started my first day off with a walk down my street where I took time to allow God to speak to me about what he wants to do in me during this time. My biggest impression today was that these next few weeks are very different from a vacation. For me, when I’m on a vacation, I spend my time mostly passively; my main goal is to kind of escape my normal routine and thought patterns and block it all out. But then I go back to work and life just resumes as usual.

What I feel God wants to do with my sabbatical, by contrast, is to speak very purposefully into my life, so that when I go back to my regular routine a few weeks from now, my “normal” actually looks different. I’m hoping that during this time, God will give me a fresh sense of identity and purpose as well as fill me up emotionally and spiritually so I can pour back out into others.

Heading Off

Despite all this, what’s really at the forefront of my mind is that this time tomorrow I’ll be on a plane headed for Kenya! Laura and I are going with our church to Kenya to work with a missionary family who moved there from Abilene. We haven’t even left yet and this trip has already been eventful, so please be praying for our team as we go. Internet access will be hard to come by, but I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and post when I get back on the 15th!

I hate to disappoint, no balls of fun this time around; but someone secret hid a prize that’s waiting to be found. You’ll need to find out who he is if you’re hoping to succeed; he’s left some clues for how to reach him, for without him your search will be tough indeed. He keeps quite the tight schedule, so he’ll have to fit you in; but if you know just what to tell him, his answers will begin..

June 16th my family traveled to Florida and stayed at the beach. The drive was 14 hours long.   We started the morning off with prayer and as we traveled observing Gods creations and it was so incredible to for our family to see the tall trees, the greenery, and the plantations along the way.  We drove thru Lousiana, Missisippi, Alabama, and then finally Florida.  The fields of crops were just amazing.  I love garden fresh vegetables and it was a privilege to see the hundreds of acres of  natural grown, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, Gigantic watermelons, blue berries, cantaloupe and every fruit or vegetable imaginable that are so healthy and nourishing made for our bodies.  There were several fresh farmers markets along the side of the interstate.  As we passed these areas I couldn’t help but think WOW God has really provided for the perfect environment for growth of fruits and vegetables and without these we would parish!  It humbles me to think the farmers have put in hard work and endless hours of labor for me to enjoy this orange I hold in my hand.  This reminds me that God provides for thousands every day and I have taken it for granted!  I have a refreshed out look on being thankful for Gods creations, which starts with the air that feeds the plants ,the soil that nourishes the seed,  the rain that makes the plant grow, the climate for the plants to grow vegetation, and the people who maintain the crops who make it possible for me to eat to sustain life.  Not such a simple process that I have taken for granted.  So convenient going to the supermarket and picking out that perfect fruit that I miss the concept of how that piece of fruit or vegetable got there! Mathew 14:13-21 speaks of Jesus performing the miracle when he provided food the crowd of followers with only a few loafs of bread and two fish.  God provides and continues to provide daily with the fruits and vegetables that nourish my body and I am humbled and thankful.

Well, I am thankful and refreshed and a bit anxious to get back to work.  (Thirty days is A LOT of time off in a difficult sales year—a $2,500,000 account selling to SCI, and $1,400,000 producer quitting on December 28th is the start of the issues TX03 has been addressing,)  so tomorrow back to work I go!

These last thirty days have been wonderful!  I’ve developed some new good habits, and feel as though I have strengthened my relationship with Jesus.  In addition, I was able to spend REAL quality time with my husband and kids, which is priceless.  I look forward to seeing my extended family next week and get back to helping families and funeral homes!

As for service work, I think this story best exemplifies what I have learned and been reminded of:

The last week of my sabbatical can be best described as restful, peaceful, and full of joy. Garrett and I spent some time with our friend Tripp and his daughter Tara. Garrett and I got to have some much needed socializing in and Tara and Odin got to play with each other. I took some pictures of the two little boogers with Snapchat filter, which made them even more adorable.

I also got spend some time with my great friend, Jaclyn, on her birthday. We had not seen each other in several months since she lives in Dallas and it was great to see her and catch up.

I wrapped up my sabbatical readings, The 360 Degree Leader and the Just Like Jesus Devotional. Both had a lot of powerful insights that I hope to apply in my life. I’m not perfect but I hope to bring what I learned from these books into daily activities.

I also finished my application to the MBA program at Strayer University and applied for several scholarships.

In wedding news, our rings came in the mail. And yes, my ring is a Wonder Woman ring. I will be Mrs. Robertson in just one week.  It was on March 1, 2013 that my life changed forever. Garrett and I had our first date and I knew then that this was the guy I wanted.

This sabbatical has been such a blessing and has opened my eyes to what is important in my life. I pray that continue to bring what I have learned during this time with me every day.

Well, we made it to NC. I was worried about several things: the kids getting car sick, getting to the airport by 530am, getting into the airport with just me handling 3 suitcases, 1 carry on, 2 kids with backbacks, and 2 booster seats, then switching planes with a 30 minute window, the kids getting sick in the plane, or in my mom’s car on the way to her house……but Ray prayed for all of these things to go smoothly and they did! It warmed my heart to see my kids yell “Nana!!!!!” and run to hug my mom as soon as they spotted her in the airport despite the miles between them. Our first full day here was great! The kids actually slept in. I drank my coffee out of the deck with this beautiful view. My mom lives in a beautiful log cabin tucked back in the woods against a little pond. This is my happy place. The kids swam while my mom and I just relaxed. After a great dinner (that I didn’t have to cook, yay!) we picked out what fabric I want to use in the quilt I’m going to make for Project Linus. Now we just have to decide on a pattern. The only thing that was disappointing was my brother, Ryan, was supposed to be here at 1 but kept pushing the time back stating he “didn’t feel well”. This is code for his depression. I was really disappointed because I’ve been looking forward to spending time with him. I was concerned that this would also be the case for today but he’s here!!!! We went out on the paddle boat before it got too hot. Then I took a peaceful walk by myself around the property. I’m grateful for the time with my family. It’s been 5 years. I love that my children are getting to know their grandparents and uncle. Tonight is fireworks!

Karin

As I’m winding down my Sabbatical, I’m can’t help but think about how thankful I am to have had this opportunity. 

Often times I find myself asking God, “God, where are you in my life?” or “God, will you make it known you are the guiding light in my life.” or “God, I can’t see you…I can’t hear you…”

As I’ve been pondering where God is in my life, the following thoughts raced through my mind.

• It just so happens I was undecided on a career path while a junior in high school.
• It just so happens my cousin (who is a funeral director) moved to my home town when I was a junior.
• It just so happens I hung out with him to learn what funeral service was all about.
• It just so happens I began working at the funeral home.
• It just so happens I realized funeral service was the career for me.
• It just so happens I went to mortuary school or the University of Minnesota.
• It just so happens the Minnesota Funeral Director’s Association had the vision to start Camp Amanda (Children’s Grief Connection) at the same time I was in mortuary school.
• It just so happens Todd Carlson (and others) visited our mortuary science class looking for camp volunteers.
• It just so happens I was moved to tears as they spoke of the vision.
• It just so happens I volunteered for the first, second, third, fourth, fifth… camps.
• It just so happens Todd and I learned we are related.
• It just so happens I met Kris and Melinda Seale, Pat Baxter, Elaine Edward, and a couple others FDLICers at camp.
• It just so happens Kris liked me…I think.
• It just so happens upon graduating mortuary school I reached out to Todd who helped me obtain my first funeral directing job.
• It just so happens that funeral home was an FDLIC client.
• It just so happens that funeral home needed a website.
• It just so happens Chris Baber and I became very close friends through the website venture.
• It just so happens Baber and I had a dream of working together someday.
• It just so happens I was invited to be a guest on a VIP trip several years ago.
• It just so happens I was moved and stirred at what I saw and experienced on that VIP trip and deeply desired to be a part of such a company some day.
• It just so happens Todd moved to Abilene to take an executive position with the company.
• It just so happens Todd began reaching out to me with potential positions with the company.
• It just so happens my wife didn’t want to move (by the way, that was not a God thing).
• It just so happens I left funeral service and took a position as the Director of IT at the Christian school my children attend.
• It just so happens that job was a time of healing for me after a decade of burning the candle at both ends for far too long.
• It just so happens this Passare thing came along and my name came to the table.
• It just so happens Todd reached out to me once again.
• It just so happens I wouldn’t be required to move my family to take the position at Passare.
• It just so happens Kelly Gilgenbach and I connected like brothers.
• It just so happens that I have been with Passare for over two years now!
• It just so happens, it just so happens, it just so happens!  Only God!

Above the surface this story sounds like a lot of coincidental happenings.  But under the surface all you can say is “Only God!”

Friends, I urge you to look under the surface to see God’s providence and see how God is orchestrating, moving, and stirring opportunities for each of us.  It’s not just happening, but rather, God is in all of this, and many steps ahead of you.

Thank you, Kris, the DIG board, and the entire team for allowing me to have this amazing and unique opportunity.

– Nick

As my sabbatical draws to a close, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this incredible experience. I can’t explain how perfect the timing of everything was. The Lord sure knew what He was doing to line everything up like He did. I ended my sabbatical with a last minute trip to DFW and one last time of play. Exploring, eating, movie, shopping, even stopping in a pet store to love on some puppies. It was whimsical and adventurous.

During my time off I read the book “Jesus>Religion: Why he is so much better than trying harder, doing more, and being good enough.” It really challenged me to think about choosing Jesus and relationship versus just having a religion and doing things for the purpose of checking boxes or following rules. I really loved how it solidified several things the Lord and I have been talking about over the last several months. I challenge you to read it also, especially if his resonates with you.

Now that I am fully rested I am ready to get back to work and allow others the opportunity to do the same. My mind has already begun to wonder about what awaits me at the office, but I’m sure it is all manageable because of the capable hands in which I left things. I’ll conclude by sharing a photo of the latest puppy addition to my family, Molly.

June 12,2017 I traveled with my mother to San Angelo, Texas to volunteer at the San Angelo Diocese helping her in her office.  We stayed overnight at the Retreat Center.  I was so nice to see how she works to  help others thru the Church.  She helps people who are seeking U.S. citizenship.  I quickly was reminded  that I am blessed to have been born in the to the U.S.  We are very privileged to be here in a country with freedom to be educated, choose our careers, and have a right to access to healthcare.  My mothers only Brother who passed last year was a Colonel in the Army. He taught me responsibility, dedication, and accountability. I will take what he taught me and pass it to my children.   I am thankful and will never take Freedom for granted.  If you know or have anyone who has served in our military or armed forces please take the time to thank them for what they do. It is because of them that we live in a free Nation.   I am so thankful for all the service men who have served in the U.S. Forces and made it  possible for me to live in a country where I have the right to choose my religion, obtain education, receive access to healthcare and be a part of making decisions by voting.  I am thankful to be a U.S. Citizen and live in the USA!

The past few days have really been a blur. It all started with a Wednesday afternoon phone call from Kaela (my wife). I answered the phone like I would any other call only to have her inform me that her water had broken and my son was on the way.

“Everything is fine,” I told myself. “You’ve spent the last 9 months preparing for this and you’ve done this once before.” Trust me…I know how easy I have it. Aside from having my hand squeezed to an almost numb state, I’m in charge of making sure that Kaela has everything she needs, being her “rock” during this time.

As prepared as I was, I wasn’t at all. I’d forgotten how much it hurts me to see the woman I love in pain. All I could do was remind her that it was temporary and that the greatest reward on earth was at the finish line.

After about 4 hours of heavy contractions, a nurse poked her head through the door to our room and said, “It’s time to start pushing.”

At 12:09pm on 6.29.17, I met my son.

Rogan Noel Keene

Overwhelmed with emotion, I met Kaela’s eyes with mine and told her I loved her.

Once everything was settled down and Kaela was feeling up to it, i went out to the waiting room and got my daughter, the infamous Harper Rose Keene. When I called her name and told her to come with me, she hopped off her grandmothers lap and strutted out in front of the full waiting room, “My baby is here, I’m gonna go see him now.” She walked into the room and stayed calm, cool, and collected. She’s a big sister now. My little girl.

I stared at them from across the room and the reality of the situation sank in. At this moment everything is perfect. I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.

My sabbatical may have started a little earlier than I expected, but it won’t make it any less special. I’m so grateful to be in the position I am and to have this opportunity. Thank you all for reading.

-Zack

***side note…our Dr. For this pregnancy was Dr. Tadvick…he was out of town on a planned trip and wouldn’t be back until Sunday evening…so our delivery Dr. ended up being the on-call physician at Hendricks when Kaela went in to labor…the Dr. who delivered my son was Dr. Moscaro…she and the nursing staff were an absolute blessing***

First of all, I am very grateful to work for such a great company that allowed me to take a Sabbatical and take time to rest and renew.  I went back to work this past Friday and was very happy to see all my peeps. I sure do love them all! 😍 Here is my last post to blog.

For my service work, my kids and I went to Love and Care Ministries and helped in “His clothing”. That’s where all donations are received and clothing is separated.  They have a warehouse full of bags that they call “the mountain” and it’s literally a mountain of bags with clothing that need to be sorted through, separated and hung up to have ready to be put out for people that go in to get clothing either for themselves or for their family.  They can also take a shower there and receive a change of clothes.  Everyone there was so nice and happy that we were there helping.

The most amazing part was when we were invited to prayer the next morning. So before starting work the next morning, we went to “His Quiet Place”.  Workers and volunteers were there for some quiet time with my Jesus.  We walked in and music was on softly playing, the lights were dim and it felt very peaceful.  Then for a couple of seconds they stop the music and the next song that came on was “Flawless” by Mercy Me now this song is very special to me and let me tell you why.  When I first started getting to know my Jesus, I was having a difficult time believing that my Jesus could actually forgive my sins. I felt like I had failed Him and there was no way I could ever be close to Him because of my sins.  Then one day I was washing dishes and listening to music on youtube and this song came on and I quickly stopped what I was doing, listened to it, replayed it again (by this time I was shaking) and when the song was over I just dropped to my knees and cried.  At that moment I realized that my Jesus does love me unconditionally and does forgive me and that He will always be there for me….now  fast forward to the present. The past couple of months I had been stressing and feeling like I haven’t been doing enough and trying to catch up with everyday life. So when my song came on that day, my Jesus was there letting me know that I am exactly where He wants me to be and that I am doing exactly what He wants me to do and to keep going.  It was such an incredible moment that I still get emotional just thinking about it!

After that I went to Dallas to spend some time with my mom and sister.  I came back home, rested, and spent quality time with my kiddos before going back to work.  I am so thankful to have been able to spend time with my family and it has also been an amazing experience that has taught me to slow down and enjoy every single day and to slow down and spend time with my Jesus in prayer.

And so here’s another song I would like to share with you all, “Hard Love” by NeedToBreathe, I also heard it when I needed it most, hope you all like it as much as I do – 🎶It’s not enough to just feel the flame, You’ve gotta burn your old self away, Hold on tight a little longer, What don’t kill you makes you stronger, Get back up ’cause it’s a hard love🎶

God bless!!

June 12, 2017 was my first official day of Sabbatical and that weekend I struggled with how to prepare not sleeping much and feeling overwhelmed by emotions.  No one can explain what you feel when your starting a Sabbatical its like you are excited, nervous, anxious, and afraid all emotions are mixed into one and after hours of meditating and thinking I realized  I have to just give up control and TRUST in the Lord. That’s just what I have done.   I trusted and he answered by rekindling a relationship with my great niece.  I was blessed to be able to take her out and visit with her.  I have cared for her since she was 4 months old.  She has been in our lives for almost 4 years.  She recently has gone back to live with her mother. When I pulled up in the drive she recognized my vehicle and left my mom behind running as fast as she could with her big smile.  We took her for an ice cream and spent time talking to her. We told her we missed her to make sure she did not think that we did not want her in our lives anymore.   We returned her to my mother’s house.  As I left her at my mothers and we walked to the door she began to cry.  I gave her a big hug and told her we needed her to be a big girl and stay so we could visit again.  As I walked turned away I began to cry but I have to TRUST in the Lord and know that he is going to take care of her when we are apart.  It was so hard for me to leave her but  I have prayed every day for her and this is where I have to trust in the Lord. I have helped her the best I can, teaching her right from wrong and  how to care for herself.  I know now that she and I have a special bond and I am ever so thankful for her being in my life.  I hope to see her again soon. Proverbs: 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

My last day of sabbatical was yesterday, June 30th.  Today, I’ve had some time to reflect on the past 30 days and they were AMAZING!  During the last week of my sabbatical, there were 33 Welch family members who reunited at North Myrtle Beach in SC.  Sounds like a big crowd but it was our smallest gathering in nearly 20 years.  However, it gave me some quality time with sisters, cousins, uncle & aunt, Dad, stepmother and of course, my wife & kids.  Lots of fun, sun, and a big Welch family devotion on Sunday morning which was one of the highlights of the trip.  All of the children under 12 performed a play out of the Bible.  Very sweet and entertaining!

As I think back on the early days of the month until now, my heart swells with gratitude.  People all around me are speechless when I tell them about the opportunity that my company gives its employees.  I want to thank Kris Seale and all the executives who allow the employees of this great, Christian company to spend 30 consecutive days solely focused on our mind, body, and soul.  My mind is strengthened, my body is rested, and my spiritual relationship with the Lord is solid.  THANK YOU!!!

As my sabbatical comes to the end, I would like to give thanks to Kris, FDLIC, and everyone who covered my job while I was gone. I am looking forward to getting back to work at FDLIC.

Have you ever had a whole week to your self with nothing to do? Me either. Well until this past week that is. My game plan for week 3 was to do my spring cleaning, but I ended up doing that in week 2. We are traveling to Colorado for week 4, so what is there to do in week 3? NOTHING. At first I was nervous because I don’t do well with nothing to do. But I survived. I went to the gym a lot, I did some window shopping, I caught up on my favorite YouTube channel. That’s about it. I’m calling this The Week of Nothing. And it was awesome.

I’d like to report a bit about my service project. As mentioned, the Lord works in mysterious ways. I was already a couple of days into sabbatical when I realized that my first and second plan to give had fallen through. In my last blog, I mentioned that my current project “fell in my lap,” and I believe God put me where he wanted me. I have been collecting gently used athletic clothing/shoes and equipment for underprivileged children. At times, I have also collected casual clothing for children and adults. In addition, I have collected for a 3rd generation Venezuelan friend whose son started a donation campaign with a local Venezuelan priest as a Gifted and Talented project. I have learned so much about both causes.

The big take away from my American project are the hole’s in a well meaning welfare system. It seems to me that logistically the problem in helping kids is that we are always dependent on parents and adults to get the resources for their children and pass the resources on to them. Beyond that we are dependent on over burdened, overcrowded court systems. Here is an example to help clarify. A real life one. Last week I received word that a 12 year old girl and 8 year old boy needed clothing immediately. Including underwear. How does that happen in our generous country FILLED with resources? Well, they left a tragic and abusive situation with only the clothes on their back. They could not go home. The courts were able to find a relative to take them in, but clothing vouchers are only given to foster parents; not relatives. The relatives will have to file for foster status in order to receive anything for these kids. IF that is necessary, it will take time. These are people barely making it, (working poor,) and have now agreed to take in two children. Ultimately God needs to work in the lives of these adults and children. It is the only answer. In the meantime, I would humbly ask everyone to be patient and Christlike when you see that addicted and abusive adult. The one that seems ungrateful and mean and no good. (I know, it’s hard for me to do too—notice I didn’t write be a doormat and give foolishly,) I wrote be patient and Christlike. Why? Well, from what I am reading over my sabbatical and what I know to be true, it’s what we are called to do as Christians anyway, but if you need more reason here it is. Those horrible, ungrateful adults were most likely terribly abused. Physically, emotionally, and sexually. (It is now believed that as many as 1 in 4 children are sexually abused.) That kind of life experience would probably harden my heart too. It could cause my life to spiral out of control with more and more bad choices. Did anyone read the Happiness Advantage? In many ways we create our own self fulling prophesies dependent on our thoughts. How can we expect a child who has survived to adulthood after being raped, abandoned, unloved, and literally fighting to survive to understand and be appreciative of kindness? How can that happen if God doesn’t soften their heart? Only He can supernaturally heal the soul. That’s my take away from my American project.

As for my Venezuelan project, I had the opportunity to witness a Christian “coincidence”. I write coincidence tongue and cheek because we know as active, praying Christians there are no coincidences. I went to drop off some girls clothes to the grandmother of the boy collecting donations. She talked to me about what is happening in Venezuela, her home country. Socialism combined with a bad leader has caused massive poverty. Where there is food and medicine, it is not affordable. Inflation is over 700%. This boy is collecting donations for a Priest who is now taking in babies daily. The parents (in anguish,) drop their children off with him because they cannot care for them. The priest is overwhelmed because he did not plan on creating an orphanage. They need items for babies. She told me this story with grave concern. I left her home feeling deeply for these parents and babies.

I hadn’t been home more than 10 minutes when my doorbell rang. A neighbor had a HUGE lawn bag filled with never used or gently used toys and stuffed animals for babies and children under the age of two. I called my friend and asked her if the priest would be interested. She became emotional and said, “absolutely!” When I brought them to her house she explained that baby toys were 10x’s the US cost before the hyperinflation began. She has no idea the cost of toys now, or if toys can even be found in the country. My take away from this project is that socialism, especially when combined with bad leaders, leads to catastrophe and revolution. Keep Venezuela in your prayers. Only regime change will begin to solve their immense problems. Revolution is eminent.

So that is all for now. In a few days, I will write my last blog, and I hope to sum up some of my many take aways and life changing experiences over the last month. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Last week, my family had a fun get together with all my siblings, nieces and nephews. We played Scrabble, watched movies, took the kids to a trampoline park and a splash pad, and generally had a lot of fun. It’s always so wonderful to connect with my little niephlings!

This week, we also got to meet up with some of my husband’s family and spend time catching up. It was great to see some old and new faces and spend some quality time with his family, which we don’t get to do very often.

Throughout my sabbatical, I’ve been exercising sporadically, and doing different kinds of activities to figure out what works best for me and my schedule. This gave me time to do some research and figure out what is sustainable for me long-term when work starts back up. For the last year, I haven’t had much luck fitting exercise into my schedule with any regularity. I’ve been so tired when I get home that I don’t have the energy to come up with a plan, let alone execute it.

But, now that I’ve tried out a lot of different things, I’ve found what I think will work for me! For the last few days, I’ve been following a trainer on social media who posts free workout videos, and I really like her style. She mixes yoga poses with cardio using interval training, so you’re never doing the same activity for too long. It keeps you moving and guessing. Based on this style, I made up a workout I could do with my favorite poses, put on some fun music, and used a timer to keep me on point, and it worked!

I got a full body workout that is perfect for my skill level/ability and that gave me energy and left me feeling tired but great. My husband liked it so much he said he’d do the workout with me in the mornings before work. It’s about 20 minutes a day, but you can do it every day. When I need to mix things up, I’ll just go and learn a new workout and incorporate new things into my basic plan. All that to say, I loved it, and I think this is something I can easily work into my schedule.

Overall, I think this sabbatical has been just what I needed it to be. Time to relax and rejuvenate, reconnect with family, read and reflect, refresh my perspective, and enjoy the rewards of giving back. With God’s help, I plan to carry over little pieces of my sabbatical into everyday work life.

Oh, and I miss everyone and I’m ready to get back to work on Monday! Yeah!!

Today was a perfect day to teach my two oldest sons how important it is to give back (as well as having a learning experience on cleaning!).  We went to Yorktown Church of the Nazarene, which is a church in one of the communities that I serve.  We cleaned the sanctuary,  coffee bar area, and all of the windows.  We have all enjoyed giving back as well as spending quality time together.  What a privilege it has been to be able to do these things!  My children have wondered why we are volunteering, and I told them that when we give to others, that we will be blessed by our Lord and Savior!  We are feeling the blessings!!  I shared with them, one of my favorite scriptures… A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.-Proverbs 17:22

Earlier this week, I spent a few hours with a good friend of mine, making freezer meals.  This is something that I enjoy doing, and am always looking for extra time to fit it in to my busy life.  It eliminates a lot of stress when I come home from a busy day at work and am able to prepare a healthy meal for my family in a short amount of time.  So many days, my husband and I, rush home, normally taking one of my three boys to either baseball, basketball practices, or games, so it is hard to prepare healthy meals with so much going on.  Thank you Lord, for allowing me so many opportunities this past month!

Hi everyone,

We got back from Georgia late Monday night.  It was a wonderful trip, I enjoyed spending time with the family. We went to Lanier Lake, the zoo,  we spent a lot of time at the pool and just hanging out. It was nice not to be in a rush the way we normally are.  We agreed to make a greater effort each summer and visit.  As much as I enjoyed seeing our families over the last month I was sure glad to be back home. I missed my Bruce Willis (our beagle), my vegetable garden, my wonderful bed and pretty much everything about my home

Tomorrow is my last day of my sabbatical who would of thought a month would go by so fast. I’m grateful and thankful that  I was able to have this opportunity.

Weird title for this post right? We moved almost a year ago & I have been searching for a church pew to fit in a specific space in our home. My husband found the perfect piece yesterday!! It is over 100 years old & was brought here from a tiny church in England. The color of wood matches our home perfectly, the detailing on the arms is amazing, but the wear on the seat is what caught my eye. As I’m admiring the pew I was filled with emotion, how many prayers have been lifted to God while sitting here? How many were answered? How were they answered? What/who caused the big scratch in the seat? Could it have been someone that sat here each Sunday? Or was it someone taking shelter in the house of God? So many questions go along with this piece. As I’m sitting here I feel peace knowing that this simple piece of wood held so many of Gods people.

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

After a very busy first ten days, the second third of my sabbatical journey has been more about resting and relaxing. There were a couple of painting projects that we have now finished, but for the most part I have learned to not try to fill my time with things to get done while I have the time off to do them. Instead, I (Melissa and I together) have spent the last week and a half relaxing at home for the most part, now that she is moved in and we have started to settle into our new and improved lives together. We did make one road trip to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, but it was a relaxing day and no time constraints for what we wanted to do.

We began our service project last Friday and will continue through the end of this week, and possibly thru the 4th. We are working with the Salvation Army to prepare and serve lunch to school age children who come each day to take advantage of the program. Some parents bring not only their children, but others who wouldn’t be able to come. I have learned a lot about the needs we have here in Cleveland from talking to the employees at the Salvation Army headquarters, as well as the families we have met. When I asked Ivory, the woman who oversees the lunch program, about other opportunities for us to help in the future, the topic turned to the homeless. This is where I learned that we have many more homeless people than I would have ever imagined in my hometown. She opened the back door and pointed to a large slab of concrete across the parking lot and explained that many of them would gather there every night to sleep. I asked how many homeless we have in our town of about 45,000? I guessed 25 or 30 and she shook her head and said it is well over a hundred. This shocked me, then I realized that like most of us, we don’t spend much if any of our time in the parts of town where this is going on. We aren’t sure yet exactly what our involvement might be moving forward but I do know God is using the sabbatical to show Melissa and I where he can use us. I look forward to seeing where he will lead us.

Besides our service project, most of our time over the last ten days has been spent lounging around the pool in the afternoons, walking on the greenway in the evening, and basically doing nothing which has been amazing. I have been surprised how easy it has become to not worry about work and what I have planned for the next week, day, or hour. I think I could get use to this!!

It has been some time since my last post. I have spent the last couple of weeks spending quality time with my wife, kiddos, and putzing around on a few home projects that have been on the to-do list far too long. I even spent an evening in my utopia…on the farm, in a tractor, side-dressing (fertilizing) 640 acres of corn. Yes!

I wanted to share with you what I have been doing as far as my service project. There is a wonderful organization in our area called HOPE, Inc. HOPE provides sports and recreational opportunities critical to the health and development of children and adults with mobility challenges and their families.

HOPE was founded by a family whose youngest child was born with spina bifida. In 2012, the Grommesh family was a recipient of an Extreme Makeover Home Edition home which can be seen here. I cannot think of a more deserving family! Bill and Adair Grommesh are two of the most giving and loving people I have ever met.  They have truly devoted their lives to others!

As some of you know, I have two kiddos that have physical limitations. Halle, who has Marfan Syndrome which limits her ability to play high-impact sports, and Yohannes who has a partial amputation on his right leg due to a traumatic childhood injury. You can learn more about Yo’s journey here.

I have spent the last couple of weeks volunteering at baseball games, softball games, and a track meet. Tomorrow I will be meeting with the Executive Director, Adair, and their Administrative Assistant, Holly, to assist with technology as well as upping the ante on their web and social media presence to reach more families in need and more donors to support HOPE and its mission to HOPE, to DO, to DREAM.

We began going to HOPE events as an outlet for my precious Halle last fall. I quickly was swept off my feet by the love, admiration, and inspiration of the leaders of the organization as well as the parents involved. The children quickly captured my heart. I leave each event with tears rolling down my face recalling the smiles and hearing the laughter from children and adults who for a short period of time, felt ‘normal.’

I’ve always have a very special place in my heart for children and adults with disabilities and/or special needs. All of my kids get to participate. Kaleb is often a catcher at baseball and softball and Malia, well, she’s all over the place, but you can often find her in a wheel chair whizzing around or pushing someone as fast as she can and then hopping on for a free ride.

It’s my heart’s goal at each event to make someone, even if it just one kiddo, or one adult feel special.  Over the last two weeks I have made special friends that will forever be a part of my heart.  God has blessed me beyond measure as I am always the one leaving with an overflowing heart. Overflowing with joy. Overflowing with love. Overflowing with emotion. I often get in the car as tears flow down my cheeks while driving home. I’m so overwhelmed by Gods graciousness and overwhelming love for ALL his people.

I’m confident God has a very special love and place in Heaven for His children with special needs. I can’t wait for the day to see my friends be free of their wheelchairs and walkers, dancing and singing praises to our mighty Savior.  I will be dancing and singing right along with them.  And, miraculously, for the first time ever, I’ll be singing on tune!!

It is with a deep honor to recently learn that I have been accepted to be a member of the Board of Directors of HOPE.

– Nick

This week consisted of tackling those pesky honey-do’s that I’ve been  meaning to get around to since we moved into our house. I was glad to finally have the time to do some much needed house projects. (So is my wife, Shelby). The other part of my week consisted of visiting my extended family on both of my parents’ sides of the family. Saturday we took a day trip to Brownwood to see my mom’s side of the family. Many of them had not seen Emery for a while and it was a good time to catch up and as my grandma says, “show off her pretty great grandbaby”. On Sunday we celebrated my dad’s dad turning 75 years old. We had a nice party for him, ate, and fellowshipped with more family that hasn’t been seen in a while. It was great getting to see everyone.

My last week is reserved for resting and spending quality time with Shelby and Emery before returning to work. I will also continue to read my bible and daily devotional. Until next time………..

I was finally able to head North to our lake home.  Always nice to relax and rejuvenate!  Something about a body of water that can help relieve stress, if even for a short time! 🙂 My boys love to fish and spend time on the small beach area we have (photo is of my 10 year old, Alec).  I’m into my 3rd week of sabbatical and am feeling like I should be back to work.  I am really trying to enjoy these last couple weeks and make the most of it!  I feel like everything I have been able to accomplish, over these past few weeks, seems almost unreal.  It makes me realize how blessed I am to work for a company, that cares about it’s employees so much, that they would allow them time of rest!  As skeptical as I was, about taking this much time away from the job that I absolutely love, I feel like I will be so much more productive and helpful to the families that I serve.  That is a great feeling! Hoping to have many more special moments to share over the next couple weeks.

Week 2 of my sabbatical was spent volunteering at CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). I put together some training binders and did miscellaneous office work throughout the week, nothing too exciting. When putting together the training binders, I made copies on their copy machine. This machine was crazy slow, so while waiting for copies to finish I had some time to read. They had this book in the volunteer office that was compilation of testimonials from people who were at one point in the foster system and whose lives were blessed by their CASA. These stories were very powerful. These kids lives were changed by having one constant in their ever changing environment. As a parent, it made me realize that my kids have it so good. They have lots of constants and love in their little lives. It also made me realize that even though I mess up, my kids still have a consistent and safe home and they can count on me to always love them. Therefore, I must be doing something right.

For those of you who don’t know what CASA is about, check out their website.  https://bigcountrycasa.org/

This past week has been one of celebration. We celebrated Father’s Day and Garrett’s Birthday. Garrett loved his Father’s Day gift. I made him a poster of pictures of him with the kids and included the poem “The Little Chap Who Follows Me” in the middle of it. I made Garrett a pineapple upside down cake for his birthday.

We also had Skye, Garrett’s eldest son, with us for the week.  We got to have some fun during the week. On Thursday night, we went to an event at the Grace Museum where they were showing ET. We did some alien crafts, including make some alien antennae, and just enjoyed some of downtown Abilene. We didn’t stay for the movie because it was so hot but I bought a copy so we could watch it later.

I have been trying to use my time to take better care of myself. I’ve been making healthier meals, like Brown Rice Paella and Chicken Kebabs.  The past two weeks I have worked out 3 times each week. I still have my momentary lapses.  It is hard to resist ice cream when the weather gets past 100 degrees and I already don’t need any excuse to eat ice cream.

I continued to volunteer at Meals on Wheels and got to meet an interesting fellow. He is a former race car driver. On Friday, he told me about his racing days in sprint cars. Today he told me how he had witnessed a shooting in a VA hospital. He’s definitely had quite the life so far and I have enjoyed getting to talk to him and learn about him.

I feel more at rest and have been able to enjoy my family and friends more as well as take care of my family and home better. This sabbatical has been such a time of blessing.

Youth camp is like no other. I remember how impactful it was when I was a teenager and to go back and serve all these years later did not disappoint. Albeit a different experience than when I was a teenager, I believe the Lord loves the opportunity to move in mighty ways at these types of events. While I didn’t miss camp food all these years, I did miss the excitement and anticipation of the teens. Kids this age are searching and I’m so glad I serve the God who is always ready to receive their enthusiasm, no matter age or maturity level. I had the distinct honor to pray with a boy on Wednesday night who confessed he needed a savior and desired salvation. How incredible we get to partner with the creator of the universe to introduce people to Him! Gah, what an incredible experience of which I will never get tired. I also developed a renewed sense of gratitude for our youth ministers and those who prepare to put on camps like this. What an endeavor that they work tirelessly in preparation for; then go full steam and the entire week. I was tired just watching them! To sum up last week, I was overwhelmed by the power of the Spirit and would love the opportunity to go back and serve again! Now, on to the last week of my sabbatical. 😔 Although I am excited to get back to work and see what all I’ve missed, I’ve found a great grove of relaxation this month.

As I stated in my last post, my wife, daughter and I traveled to Vancouver, Canada. We wanted to expose our daughter to big city life and also wanted to do some hiking and enjoy the great outdoors.  My wife and I love the beach, but our daughter Lucy is not a big fan so we thought perhaps she likes the mountains.  She does.  We had a wonderful time.  Some observations:

The temperature never got above 65 and never got below 50.  (At least it seemed to me.)
There was never any wind.
The people were extremely polite.  Especially in traffic.  I was surprised.
I had the best coffee I’ve ever had and I never visited Starbucks at all.
I never had a bad meal or bad service.
I don’t remember ever visiting anyplace with scenery this spectacular.
I feel like I walked about 10 miles a day.

I will attach some photos below of our trip.

It is nice to be back home.  My sabbatical ends tomorrow and I am so looking forward to coming back to work.  I began my first blog post by telling about an awful start to my life.  However, one of the biggest things this sabbatical has reinforced is just how fortunate I am.  Actually, we are all very fortunate to be working for this great company.  Something else I learned during my time off is how easily I get bored.  I did an awful lot of work around the house this past week just out of boredom so I am really looking forward to coming back to work.  Can’t wait to see everybody tomorrow.

As of early June I didn’t know if the service project with AYSA would work out since there are no sports events planned during this month. As I began to make alternate plans, I realized I needed to ask God for direction. As I prayed, God’s plan unfolded. AYSA needed extensive data entry work done, and I am currently working on that project. I realized working in the background as a quiet servant fits me well. Although things may go unnoticed by people, God always notices. My motto has become Colossians  3:23, “Whatever you do , do it enthusiastically,as something done for the Lord and not for men.” Matthew 25:40 reminds me whatever I do for others, I do for Jesus, my beloved audience of One.

Until next time blessings,

I’m guessing everyone else feels the same way about their Sabbatical, but I’ll say it any way…This Was Awesome!

Words can’t describe how grateful I am for this last month! Amazing time with the Lord, forever memories with my family, times of refreshing and rest, serving others, growing in my faith and as a man of God and husband/father, getting things done around the house and much more.

This last week I was able to spend a few days with my son at his Boy Scouts camp. I’m so excited about the time I had bonding with him and getting to experience new things. I made more head way on our garage. Still can’t get my car in there but we’re closer. I also finished the Wild At Heart book. It was a good one! I plan on reading the follow up books called Fathered By God.

I go back to work on Monday. I’m prepared and excited to get going again. A big thanks to Kris for this wonderful month! I’m so grateful to work at FD and am truly a blessed man!

Oh, I decided to shave this morning since I had let my beard grow out this month. It’s all gone now.

Blessings!

Michael

God Moments: a year in the word – devotional that I began reading. I took a picture of on day and texted it to Elaine it reminded me of the Operations team.  Salt & Grace is the title for that day…Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone – Colossians 4:9

Power of Humility has been very powerful reading and I suggest this book if you have not read it to do so

I called into the office to talk to Zack to make certain my phone set up and call was working correctly since we finally had everything all set up before going back to work. He quickly worked to fix my computer that was not recognizing my keyboard or mouse. 15 minutes tops and back to sabbatical.

Yesterday (Friday) we began volunteering at the Salvation Army packing lunches/snacks for the kids.  This is the first time for the Salvation Army in Cleveland to put this type of program on. We learned there are 40 different places that put this type of program on around us to make sure that every child is feed.  The families have to apply for a grant which puts their middle school aged child or younger in this program where they get at least one meal a day.  Over this week the Salvation Army had any where from 4 to 21 kids that show up…yesterday we severed only 2, Abbey and Jacob. Jeff and I later saw Jacob, Allie (his sister) and Crystal (mom) help setting up for the Duck Race, which had to be moved the Cleveland High School due to the rain we were excepting. Jeff and I took Jacob and Allie and we put out signs around the school showing were to park.  Once we returned  back to the school the kids helped their mom blow up balloons an placed them around the racing and vendor area.

On Father’s Day Kelsey, Jeff’s youngest, stopped by for a visit she is a very busy young lady so she stayed about an hour. That evening his son, Jared with is fiancée Asia stopped by and brought smoked ribs and cornbread muffins, while I put together backed potatoes and baked beans for supper with the kids.  Ribs were delicious!.

Took a road trip to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg one day to purchase pickles (the best bread n butter pickles ever)…we called Jared/Kelsey (2 of his kids) and Raylene (his mom) to see if they wanted anything.  We struck out in Pigeon Forge so had to drive to Gatlinburg for pickles…once again we struck out, I cannot believe it, they always have these pickles.  Oh, well, we take off back to Pigeon Forge to the Apple Barn to purchase apple butter, apple donuts and relish for the family….donut machine is broken….needless to say the trip was not successful but enjoyed getting out of the house for the day.

The house is coming along perfectly we have one room painted completely and the living room is almost finished. I don’t think there has not been a day go by that we have not been to some kind of store to spend money purchasing things we need to help us complete our new and improved home. I have torn almost all the beautiful wall paper off the kitchen walls soon sanding and painting in there will begin one day.

I love it here in my new home town waking up to actual trees (cannot see miles and miles of flat land no longer), green grass, mountains and it rains from time to time!  Jeff has been a true blessing in my life along with his family who have taken not only me but my kids into their lives as well.  Thank you God for placing this man and his family in our lives!

Read more…

Time flies when you’re having fun!

I can’t believe today is the last day in Tres Reyes. This has been so rewarding. The people from Ohio have been super special. I will have to share more later, but suffice it to say these folks are amazing and have been great to Matt and I.

Following more work on the wall in TR, we were able to go on a prayer walk through the community. We visited 4 families who are participating in the B2B program. These moms were so honored to have us visit their homes. God broke my heart today and it was good. (I will have to share more later)

Following this emotional time, we returned to the CC. Today is the day the “Little Ones” come. These boys and girls range from 5-9 and are simply wonderful. We fed them a healthy lunch (quesadillas and mangoes) then we played with them for about an hour. After that we participated in educational classes (art, English, science, etc.). Then recess outside.

Lastly, they conducted a “mom’s market” under the palapa, where the mom’s had tables of their goodies for sale so they could help support their families. I wanted to buy everything they had, but was instructed that “pity buying” is not good for them long term.

We returned to the mission house for a group dinner of homemade tostadas. After dinner we shared our mountain top moments with the group. And we cried tears of joy. I think we let our love light shine today…

Today, we were able to work really hard (much trabajo)!

We are building a new structure (Resource Center) at the community center in Tres Reyes that will provide an area for locals to learn new skills (sewing, carpentry, painting, etc.). There will also be an area for the mom’s to sell there items to support their family and more space to house missionaries.

We moved dirt, busted rocks, made some concrete, etc.

It was a great day!

Today, we watched a video about poverty. We learned that sometimes our good intentions can cause more harm than good through “unintended consequences”.

One small story here. Julie Cooper (B2B Staff) shared that she once wanted to help a new mother in a poor area of Monterrey, Mexico. She brought a case of baby formula (enough for a month) for this mom to feed her newborn baby. When she went back to check on them a few days later, Julie was shocked to see the mom was feeding her newborn “Coke” in the baby bottle because she sold the formula for $ to feed the rest of her family! This happens all the time in poor areas.

providing $ and an abundance of clothing can sometimes be the worst thing to do (it can be disruptive to the locals). We learned in order to truly help someone for the long term there needs to be an understanding of the local needs, situations, etc. because donations can sometimes put small business owners “out of business.”

We then went to Milka’s house to install the doors and windows we made yesterday. Along with some major yard work, security gate and concrete.

Milka was overwhelmed at the end of the day when we prayed over her family for unity, protection, faith and courage. We all shared tears of joy.

Today our small group question is from Mark 4:40 “What are you so afraid of?”

Today is Father’s Day and even though my earthly father is no longer with us (has passed away in 2010), we celebrate all fathers and especially our Heavenly Father.

We had the opportunity to worship today at the Vida Life bi-lingual church in Cancun. It was a truly amazing experience. We sang in English and in Spanish.

“Santo, Santo, Santo, yo qiero verte”, which means Holy, Holy, Holy, I want to see you.

Let me tell you, it was powerful. We sang praises and prayed for around two hours and it was great.

Following a great lunch we got to work building doors and windows for Milka. She is being reunited with her twin girls who have been in an orphanage for years. She did not have space in her one room home so B2B has been adding on rooms etc.

This house will be a home soon enough.  Praise be to God…

Today, we were able to meet the mission team we will be working with. There are 22 total people (all from the Cincinnati area). Here is a picture:

It’s so difficult to describe all that is going on here in TR (Tres Reyes), but B2B has been working here now for six years. God has provided an incredible community center for the kids/moms to come to for a “safe” place.  In the middle of some of the most extreme poverty I have ever seen is the community center. It is complete with a giant palapa for shade, outdoor brick oven for pizza, soccer field, basketball court, commercial kitchen, library, dental offices, common area, class rooms, computer lab, etc. IT IS AMAZING!

In our small groups we are exploring “Questions Jesus Asks.” Today we looked at John 6:70, “Have I not chosen you?”.  We have been graciously chosen by the King to go, give, share, learn and work.

So thankful to be a part of this experience….

Last year while in Cancun on the incentive trip, the Company worked with Back2Back ministries to coordinate a one day mission trip in the community of Tres Reyes Mexico. I was so impacted by that experience that I knew I wanted to return. This time I was fortunate enough to bring along our oldest son, Matt:

Today we travel to Cancun and will meet ghetto rest of the mission team. This is the first time we have been able to do something like this as father and son. I am so excited to see what God will do…

“And when you pray, don’t be like those people who don’t know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing, thinking that God will hear them because of their many words.” Matthew 6:7

God already knows what we need even before we speak it. Whether its long or short or if we don’t even have the words to express ourselves he understands us. Now that is a truly beautiful thing.

This is the view that I have been enjoying every morning since we got to Georgia, its the perfect place to read my devotional, have my reflection time and drink my coffee.

This week is SERVE at our church and I thought it would be a good opportunity to do some volunteer work as a family.  Our boys really enjoyed serving food to the kids of our church, who are working so hard this week, to help folks in need.  Participants are rehabbing homes, landscaping, trash clean up, visiting nursing homes, hosting free block parties, and a host of other projects.  It is exciting to be a part of a church family that gives back to our community in so many different ways.  Our family was only able to play a small part in SERVE this week, but it was still nice to enjoy a great evening of fellowship and giving back!

One of my goals for this month is to spend one day with each one of my four children.  With a family of six, rarely, do we get to spend one on one time together.  So I took a day with each one of my children.  Taylor’s (2) day with Dad involved  swimming pool, watching movies, and napping.  Cooper’s (6) day involved soccer, basketball, swimming, and milkshakes.  Logan’s (9) day with Dad included football, basketball, putt putt, and lots of laughs.  My oldest, Emma (11), spent the day with me bowling, basketball, lunch at Chick fil a, hiking, swinging at the park.  One thing that all four children did on their day with Dad was to spend some quality time with folks at the assisted living center known as Spring Arbor of Greensboro.  As a father, it does your heart good to see your children helping others and bringing  joy to older generations.  Each one of my children spent time, shared laughs, shared smiles, and loved on these people.  Each one of my kids had a great attitude and seemed to really enjoy their time there.  I was on the sidelines watching and thanking God for His goodness!

Lots of fun this past week!  This week, great time with family and deepening our relationships with God!

Tomorrow we fly to Brazil!
0445 departure from the church…….drive to Chicago……fly to Miami………fly to Manaus……..11pm arrival…at hotel around 1am”ish”
It will be a long day, but it will be so worth it!

The last week or so has been full!   I’ve been a bit quiet on here so I thought I’d give you an update.
I had to build a small (VERY SMALL) deck + steps for the back yard.  It’s not quite done…but, almost there.  I’ll add a railing and then it will be safe!
 It’s nice to be able to “do this stuff” without having to hire it out.

OH—–and then, when you think you’re almost caught up with life—–LIFE happens!!!   The very next morning, I had to go to Lowe’s and buy (and install) THIS!!!!!
  Plumbers have my respect!

Too much drama for me!  hahahha

Over the weekend, I stopped by Bass Pro and picked up a hat.  I rarely wear hats.  But, I’ve learned that it/when I’m outside all day long in full sun near the equator, it is highly advised to cover the ol’ noggin.

Yesterday, not one…but TWO different people that I saw ended up giving me money to take with us to Brazil.  They want me to share it with those who are less fortunate.  I’ll find out what the best way is to help them.  Maybe buy something that people would need and then take it with us on the boat?  We’ll see!!!

My barber yesterday gave me a small gift crafted from wood.  He sent a few bucks with me to bless someone else with.  Here’s my hair-do!  Before / After =o)   hhehehehehehe

Today, I did a little bit of shopping for the trip.  Some candy to bring to share with others.  I also bought a super cool Survival Knife that I hope to give away while there.

While in Brazil, I “might” be able to share a post.  We’ll be “in” the interior for about 5 nights and then back to the city.  The nights in the jungle should be without Wi-Fi.  But, I’m sure the city will not be a problem.

IF you think of me………I appreciate your prayers.  I’ll be preaching a few times in the interior and in the city.
In Manaus, I’ll be preaching July 2nd at “Central Church” for their evening service.  What an honor!  I SO look forward to it!!!

Blessings,
Robert

What a beautiful day! Since this is the longest day of the year, I figured I can take a minute and blog…

Kayaking on the lake

I got up early this morning and decided to go kayaking. As I made my way to the middle of the lake, there was such a calmness to the water. I stopped to enjoy the peacefulness of my surroundings, and it was almost as if God was saying to me, “Be still and know that I am God.” It was pretty awesome. Then, I was reminded of a podcast I had recently listened to from Andy Stanley. In this podcast, Andy said, “We’ll never get what we really want until we discover what is most valuable. But choosing what’s valuable doesn’t come naturally. We’ve all had the experience of getting what we naturally want, only to discover it’s not what is most valuable—it’s not what we ultimately want.” He went on and added, “When we discover what we really value, we are less prone to settle for what we merely want.” Wow! I cannot think of a more powerful combination of true statements. These words have been rolling around in my head. However, Andy closed the message with a statement that really made me stop in my tracks. He said, “What you really want and what God really wants for you may be closer than you imagine.” This statement hit me like a ton of bricks. How many times have I struggled with this assertion? It’s critical for me to put aside those natural wants and pursue what I ultimately want. In doing so, it’s incredible to realize that what I really want and what God really wants for me may be very similar.